Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon rebuked the state weather agency and the interior and safety ministry Monday over a delay in sending the emergency text message warning after Sunday's earthquake in the southeastern city of Pohang.

(Yonhap)

Under the alert system, a mobile phone text message is supposed to be automatically sent out to citizens as soon as an earthquake happens. But on Sunday, the message only came six minutes and 30 seconds after the 4.6 magnitude quake shook the city.

"Prime Minister Lee expressed strong regret" over the delay, his office said in a text message to reporters. "Lee also ordered the interior and safety ministry and the Korea Meteorological Administration to conduct a thorough inspection into why the delay happened, and ensure such a thing won't happen again."(Yonhap)